Bruce Shanks has been involved in the agriculture and livestock industry nearly his whole life. Bruce was raised on a diversified livestock farm which included commercial cattle, sheep, and goats in Southeast Missouri. He received a B.S. in Animal Science from Missouri State University and a M.S. in Animal Science/Animal Breeding from Montana State University. While at Montana State University, Bruce managed the Fort Ellis Research Station, the headquarters for range sheep investigations in the state. Shortly after, Bruce earned a Ph.D. in Animal Science/Meat Science from South Dakota State University.
Dr. Shanks served ten years as an associate professor of Animal Science in the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Lincoln University. His primary responsibility was teaching classes including sheep and goat production. Additionally, he conducted applied research in various areas of cattle, sheep, and goat production with emphasis on multi-species grazing, meat science studies on lamb and goat, and genetic selection for parasite resistance in goats.
Bruce and his wife, Sunshine, own and reside on Sassafras Valley Ranch in Belle, MO where they raise livestock under a managed-intensive grazing system on 745 owned and 1,400 leased acres. Currently, the operation consists of 300 registered South Poll cows and a flock of 200 commercial Katahdin hair sheep.
Bruce is currently serving on the national board for the South Poll Grass Cattle Association, is President of The Belle Fair Board, a board member for the Missouri South Poll Association and an Advisory Committee Member for Farm Credit Services